Social Butterflies
by LunarCherry
Summary: Neither of them were too fond of talking, both would rather spend time alone than with others. Somehow they managed to fall for each other, even when they'd say the most awkward things. Maybe that's what they loved about each other.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, new story time. So this is going to be Cliff/Claire (idk it's adorable asdfghjkl ;-;) wit a few hints of Claire/Bachelors here and there. These first few chapters will just be her meeting people because y'know, story's gotta start somewhere, amirite? Okay I'm going to shut up now.**

* * *

"This… is the farm?"

Claire stared at the weeds, the debris enveloping the 'refreshing' farm. It was nothing compared to the luxurious life she was promised in the advertisement. She'd quit her job for this for this farm, not to mention she'd left her apartment and the few friends she'd made.

'_This is a joke, right?'_ She thought, trying not to look too disappointed.

Thomas, the mayor, nodded. His bright smile was enough to make Claire feel bad.

"Yes, I admit this isn't the best condition it could be in, but the owner passed away a few years ago." He looked down to the floor, shuffling his feet. "People usually come and see the farm, notice it's poor state and leave."

Claire felt guilty. She took another look at the farm, putting on her best smile.

"I-I think it's lovely. I'll turn it around, don't you worry."

He looked up in shock, a wide grin splattered across his face. Claire couldn't help but laugh at the man, who was now giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Oh, thank you! You won't regret it!" He beamed, grabbing her hand. "You know, we haven't had a new resident since Cliff, and not to be rude, but he hasn't really contributed to the liveliness of our town. A new farmer is so exciting! The whole village is ecstatic to meet you, and hopefully you'll enjoy it here. I best be off now for my son must be wondering where I've got to. Come see the villagers later, considering you need to buy some seeds and such. Goodbye!" He smiled. He wandered back to the town, happily bobbing from side to side.

Claire sighed. She didn't know how Thomas could talk that much. She was never a social person, often preferring to stay inside with a book or her laptop. Talking to people was a challenge to her, mainly because she got nervous and felt she was boring whoever she was speaking to. She was fine speaking to people she was comfortable with, but strangers? No way.

"Well," She began, rolling her sleeves up. "I better meet these guys. I'm sure they're lovely, just hope they don't think I'm weird…"

Claire walked down the faded pathway, reaching an old building. She looked up at it, opening the door.

"What's wrong with it?!" A young man yelled at an elder. Neither of the men noticed Claire's presence, so she decided to stay quiet.

"The answer is inside of you." The older man said, calmly. This only seemed to anger the other even more.

"Um, hello?" Claire said, trying her hardest to be noticed. The younger man turned around, his face scrunched up in anger.

"What are you looking at?! If you have nothing-"

"Gray! How dare you speak to a customer like that!" The old man yelled. Claire winced, not used to the harsh tones in their voices. "My apologies, my grandson can be rather rude. You should know better, Gray, especially since this seems to be a newcomer. I expected more from you."

Gray pulled his hat over his eyes.

"So… Sorry."

"I-It's fine. Don't worry about it." She smiled, shyly. "My name's Claire, I'm, um, the new rancher. Nice to, uh, meet you."

"The name's Saibara, and this here is my grandson, Gray. We own the Blacksmith, so I assume you'll be stopping by often. We'll upgrade your tools for you, so feel free to come by." Saibara smirked. Claire nodded.

As she turned to leave, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, sorry for earlier. My grandpa was just giving me a hard time. I never seem to be good enough for him, y'know? I'm ready to quit. I don't see the point in working if I'm just gonna get put down." Gray explained. Claire didn't know what to do, as she was never good at giving advice.

"It's called _training._"

Gray stayed silent, glancing at the girl under his cap.

'_Crap.' _She thought. _'That sounded so bad. He's probably going to think I'm horrible. I've only been here a day and I've managed to-'_

"You're right. I'm such a wimp."

Claire snapped out of her daydream. Did she… actually give someone good advice?!

"Sorry for complaining so much…" He murmured, his eyes locked on the floor below. He suddenly looked up, a small smile plastered onto his face. "I don't really get what my grandfather's saying now, but I think the time has come. I'd better keep trying. Thanks again."

Claire nodded again, awkwardly walking out of the store. As she left, she heard a high pitched squeal come from around the corner.

"Just wait a second!"

Claire stepped towards the noise and many chickens placed behind a little fence, and the voice was frantically shouting from the bottom of the place. While Claire stood there, she noticed a chicken running towards her.

"H-Hey!" Claire shouted, picking the small animal up.

"Wait, I said!"

She ran to Claire, puffing.

"I was told not to take my eyes off the chickens, yet I lost one. Good job, Popuri…" She mumbled to herself. She beamed at Claire, taking the animal off her hands. "Thanks. Chickens are so hard to catch. I've never seen you before though. What's your name?"

"Claire, I'm running the old farm. Um, what about you?"

"Popuri! Do you like chickens, Claire?" She asked, clutching the chicken tighter.

"Huh? Oh, sure…" She lied. Claire couldn't stand chickens. The way they clucked annoyed her, and she was always worried that one would bite her with their sharp beaks.

"I thought so; you look like a chicken girl! I love chickens too! I think people who like chickens are such lovely people, so that must be why I got a good feeling when I saw you."

She twisted her pink hair, before plopping the bird on the ground.

"I've got to bring her back to the house now. Would you care to come in? I don't think you've met my brother or my mother."

Claire couldn't refuse, so she followed the girl into her home.

"They laid lots of eggs today." A boy noted. "They must be healthy. I made some spa-boiled eggs, so eat up, mom."

The woman, who looked scarily similar to Popuri, picked up one of the eggs and began eating.

"Ooh! Spa-boiled eggs, yum!" Popuri exclaimed. She didn't bother to introduce Claire, so she was left standing in the doorway, unsure of what to do.

"Uh, Popuri? Who's this?" The boy asked, observing the girl.

"Oh, her? That's Claire. She's running the farm! Neat, huh?"

"Nice to meet you Claire. I'm Rick, Popuri's brother. That's our mom, Lillia. We run this store and sell chickens, so if you ever need anything, I'm your chicken man!" He responded. Claire tried her hardest not to laugh.

'_Oh my Goddess, cringe.'_

"Oh yeah, here." He handed her a spa-boiled egg, happily. "Feel free to eat this. I have tons of eggs so I can just make more."

She popped the egg into her rucksack.

"I'll… go now." She waved, shyly. "Bye, see you all later."

"See you another time, dear. Come by anytime you like. I'm sure Popuri would appreciate a new friend." Lillia smiled. Claire smiled back, leaving the home.

'_Some people are so nice, how do they do it?'_

* * *

**DID YOU LOVE IT?!**

**/no**

**Leave a review, I'd love to hear your feedback.**

**(btw I'm going to be including all black heart events, just like the game. Idk, it's fun yano?)**

**-Cherry xx**


	2. Chapter 2

Claire walked towards another farm, clearly bigger than the other. Countless cows and sheep roamed around the area, munching away at the small amount of grass that the owner had planted. She stepped inside the house that also appeared to be the shop and introduced herself.

"H-Hello. My name's Claire, I'm running the farm."

An old man looked at her over the counter, sizing her up. He suddenly shouted 'May!' and continued smiling. A small girl soon made an entrance, staring at the confused farmer.

"This is the new farm girl May, the one that Mayor Thomas was talking about. Introduce yourself."

"Um, I'm May. I hope we can be friends." She said shyly, making Claire smile.

"I'm Claire. Maybe you can come and play at my ranch one day. I mean, only if you want to…"

May's eyes widened, her whole face brightening up. She happily nodded, skipping back outside.

"Thank you for cheering May up. She's been down all day. My name's Barley. I, and to a certain extent, May own this store. If you ever need any barn animals, come straight to me. I trust I'll be seeing you rather soon." He assumed.

They chatted for a few minutes before Claire made her way to the town square. No one was there, so she turned left to view a large building. She walked inside, ready to greet whoever was inside.

"Welcome. Hey, I haven't seen you before. What's your name?" A red headed girl asked. She was young and looked around the same age as Claire, dressed in overalls and a yellow shirt. Someone, who Claire presumed to be her father, was stood next to her.

"Um, my name's Claire. I'm running the ranch. Nice to meet you."

"Oh, I'm Ann. Me and my dad run this inn. So, did you come to eat? Just wait a minute." She turned to her father, who was silently watching. "Can we give her a meal, y'know, on the house? She's new here, so it would only be natural to give her a treat."

The man didn't say anything for a moment. Claire started to get worried, wondering if the man was going to ask her to leave or refuse to cook for her. He noticed her expression and laughed.

"Sure, as long as you come back often! My name's Doug, by the way."

Ann's smile grew wider. She grabbed the blonde's hands, her blue eyes twinkling with hope.

"See? Why don't you stay and eat? Please, I'd love to get to know you!" She pleaded, still grasping Claire's delicate hands.

'_Well, I am hungry. Why not? I'm not gonna pass down free food.'_

"Sounds great!"

"Good! Make her your special, dad!" She grinned. Claire heard her stomach rumble. She blushed, while Ann just giggled. "I knew you'd be hungry! Come on, sit over here with me!"

* * *

Claire wolfed down the apple pie and grape juice she was offered. The pie was fluffy and light, while the juice was rich and tarty. It was delicious, true heaven.

"How does it taste?" Asked Doug, laughing at Claire's enthusiasm.

"Amazing! How do you make stuff this good? I mean, I can't make toast without causing a house fire…" Claire giggled nervously. It was true; Claire was not a good cook. Even juice, which is only made with fruit and a blender, would end up salty and thick.

"Eat all you want." Ann said gently. She liked Claire's determination. For such a small girl, she really had an appetite.

"I've decided I like you, Claire." Doug beamed. "Come anytime and visit Ann. I'm sure she'd appreciate a friend."

"D-Dad! Don't say stuff like that!" Ann shouted, blushing. She apologised, claiming her father was 'incredibly inconsiderate' about Ann's emotions. Claire laughed. She wished she'd had such a close relationship with her own father, but they never got along too well.

"I best be off then. W-Will I see you around then, Ann?" Claire squeaked, unsure of the ginger's answer. Ann cocked her head, clearly confused at Claire's sudden shyness.

"Of course. You seem like one of the only girls who I could really get close to. Popuri's too ditzy, Karen can be… more than a little rude, especially when she's drunk, Elli's caught up in work and Mary's too awkward to have a decent conversation. It's hard to find a good friend here." Ann frowned. Claire opened her mouth but then shut it. She realised it would not be a good idea to start trash talking any of the girls; she didn't know half of them!

Claire said her goodbyes and wandered left, coming to a winehouse.

"Hm? Oh, you must be the new farm girl! My name's Manna, my husband Duke and I own this place. You can buy wine and juice here, it's simply wonderful! However we don't open for too long." Her eyes suddenly fell to the floor, her cheerful smile fading into a contrast of a sulk. Her lower lip slightly started to quiver and her eyes were on the verge of tears. "Duke's an awful drunk. I assume he's the reason my daughter left. I miss her so much, but he's too much of an alcoholic to care about what I say!" She looked back up at Claire, anger filling her eyes. "Aja would love it here! I heard last time she was here she'd taken a liking to Harris, but Duke upset her once again and she hasn't been back since… I miss her, I want her back. So, what're you here for?"

Claire stared blankly at Manna, unsure of what she had just said. She giggled nervously, trying to look like she knew what was going on.

"Haha… um, I'm Claire. I'm gonna work at the ranch, y'know, um, the abandoned one? Haha… it's nice to meet you."

Claire was ready for Manna to ask why she didn't answer her question, so relief flooded her when Manna smiled back.

"Oh yes, you're the new girl that's running the farm! Thomas won't shut up about you! He said that you were really nice and friendly, I'm so glad he told the truth. Unlike my Aja, she turned so bitter after Duke yelled at her. Maybe that's why she left? Was it Duke's alcohol problem, or maybe the way he'd hurt her by shouting? I don't know. I'll pray that one day she'll come back. Speaking of which, I'm sure you have a lot of people to meet so I'll let you leave, but remember that you must pay me another visit! Goodbye, Claire!" She gabbled, ushering her out of the door.

All Claire got out of that was 'Aja', 'Duke', 'alcohol', 'shouting' and 'left'. She pretty much got the picture.

* * *

"Hello?" Claire blurted, alerting the man and woman enjoying peace in their living room.

"Hm? Oh my, could you be Claire?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. Claire nodded cautiously. "Oh, good! Thomas didn't mention how cute you were!"

Claire blushed and mumbled 'Thank you' underneath her breath. The woman laughed quietly, gushing over her shy nature.

"Well, I'm Anna, and I live here with my husband, Basil." She pointed towards a man who was reading a book about plants. He waved slightly, before turning back to his book. "…And my daughter Mary. You know what? I think you should go and meet Mary right away! I bet she'd love your company."

Before Claire could protest she was being pushed out of the door and taken to the building next to it. For such a delicate woman, she had strong hands and had no trouble forcing Claire to leave. She didn't mean any offense; she just wanted Claire to meet her daughter.

Anna opened the door and shoved her inside gently.

"See you, darling!" She called, closing the door.

Claire looked at the girl who stood a few feet away from her. She had long, black hair that was pulled into a braid and wore a blue dress with a white shirt underneath and thick glasses. A look of frustration lay on her unusually slender face, and she stood still, not seeing Claire stood before her.

"I wonder what I should do with this… No… Hm…" She groaned, beginning to pace back in forth. She suddenly noticed Claire, taking a step back in surpise. "O-Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there…"

"Um, don't worry about it. I'm Claire, I'm working at the ranch." She smiled. Mary smiled back.

"Oh, hello Claire. I'm Mary. Welcome to the library! Not many people actually come to the library, so I'm glad you're here."

Claire felt sorry for her, deciding to play on.

"Oh yeah, I, um, love books. So what's up. You looked a little… angry. Did something happen?"

Mary shook her head.

"Oh, sorry about that… When I get lost in thought I don't really think about how I look. I was just having a case of writer's block, is all."

"Can I help?"

Mary looked at Claire, a look of pure shock on her face.

"I-It's fine if you don't want me to…" Claire stuttered, taken aback by Mary's astonishment. Mary fiddled with her wrists, looking down at the floor.

"N-No, it's not that I don't want you to, it's just… well, not many people usually want to help me."

Claire felt a pain run through her chest. Sure, she didn't have many friends but at least they all stuck by her. Mary seemed to be a really nice girl, but without any friends. It was pretty upsetting to Claire, and she didn't even know why.

"Well I'll help, come on. Tell me what you're writing?"

Mary grinned, finally finding a topic she was interested in.

"I'm writing a novel. Writer's block can't really be helped, but thank you anyway. It's… really nice to have someone who wants to talk to me here… Please come back, Claire. I'd really appreciate it."

Claire agreed and left the building, a feeling of pure satisfaction lay deep inside her.

'_I met someone more awkward than me today, and I managed to make them smile.'_ She thought. '_I feel good.'_

* * *

**Hi! **

**So I felt a bit sick today, so what a great time to update, amirite? No...**

**I've been in Spain for two weeks, and I only got back last night. It feels weird to be back in dull England, but I missed it here(:**

**Idk, this chapter is just 'meet, talk, leave' basically. I can't get onto romance considering we met no bachelors this chapter! How sad...**

**If you review I'll marry you and maybe buy you Ben and Jerry's!... Maybe.**

**And thanks to _wildivy _for following. I know, it's been a while...**

**Love youuuuuu;;)**

**-Cherry xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Italics - _****Claire's thoughts**

* * *

Claire strolled through the now familiar path that connected the whole of Mineral Town and walked into the first building on the right of the library. It was small and clearly not for business.

The house was cosy and had two beds residing at the right of the room. An old woman sat in the middle, rocking back and forth.

"Hello?" Claire smiled, before gasping in shock at the woman before her. "I-I'm sorry! I don't mean to disturb you!"

The old woman laughed softly, rocking peacefully back and forth in her chair. She gestured for Claire to come and talk to her, so Claire did as she was told, closing the door behind her with a light bang.

"Don't worry about it, dear. I'm happy that you decided to come and see me, although I don't think I've seen you before. Maybe I have, my old noggin isn't what it used to be." She croaked, her voice rough and seemingly sore.

"Ah, no you haven't met me ma'am. I've actually just moved here. To the farm, just south from here."

The elderly woman's face lit up, rocking at a slightly faster pace than before.

"Really? It's always nice to see youth around the town. My name's Ellen. I live here with my grandchildren, Elli and Stu."

Claire remembered Ann saying something about Elli but she couldn't think what.

"I see. It was nice meeting you, Ellen, but I'm, um, afraid I need to go and meet the rest of the village. Would it be okay if I…" Claire pointed towards the door, hinting that she needed to leave. Ellen nodded.

"Of course, dear. Be sure to stop by every once in a while. Oh, and…" She stopped rocking completely and smiled sadly. "Please can you make friends with Elli and Stu? I think they'd love to know you. They don't have many friends, mainly because Stu's too young and Elli gets too caught up in a work. I'd be happy to see them socialize with other people every once in a while."

Claire assured her she would and walked outside to the next building, which looked very similar. She went inside, revealing Thomas and a younger man.

"Hello Claire. I assume you must be meeting the townsfolk, hm?" Thomas raised an eyebrow. Claire nodded.

"Yeah, they're all so… lovely. In the city, nobody bothered to introduce themselves and I didn't have that many friends…" She sighed, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. "But here, everyone knows everyone. It's so nice."

Thomas grinned cheerfully, his face lighting up.

"You think so? Mineral Town has never gotten many compliments, so you've really made my day. Thank you, Claire."

Claire didn't say anything, awkwardly smiling at the still beaming man.

"Well," He spoke, "I'll let you carry on meeting everyone. I'm guessing you have the supermarket, the clinic and the church left to visit? They're the last places on this side of town."

Claire nodded again.

"Well, I'll be seeing you Claire."

"Goodbye, and thank you Thomas."

* * *

The blonde girl left Thomas' and house and walked right, to be greeted by a large building. An old, wooden sign saying 'Supermarket' was plastered next to the store. Claire walked inside.

"Welcome." Announced a blonde girl, in a monotone voice. She stared at Claire in confusion. "I've never seen you around here. Are you a tourist?"

Claire shook her head nervously.

'_She's so pretty. Pretty girls are the most judgemental. Oh Goddess, I haven't spoken yet, I bet she thinks I'm weird and she'll spread stuff about me and…'_

"Hello?" The girl said again. Claire snapped out of her thoughts.

"Ah, n-no. My name's Claire. I actually, um, moved into the farm. I'm working there… I guess I'll be coming here a lot…" Claire stuttered, dreading coming back to the shop again.

"Oh, I've heard about you. My name's Karen. If you just started, then you must need a lot of things, right?" She asked.

'_Is this a rhetorical question? In the last book I read the girl answered the rhetorical question and then she died… Hold on, if I answer this will she kill my social status?_

Claire mentally kicked herself. She knew she was over thinking things, but she was being ridiculous. Just because she was pretty didn't mean she was bitchy. Claire was being silly.

"I… could use some help. I'm afraid I don't have much money right now." Claire laughed quietly. Karen placed her hand on her chin, before letting out a big gasp.

"Just wait one moment." She smiled, walking up to the counter, where a man and a woman were stood, observing Karen's actions.

"Dad," She began, leaning on the counter. "Can we give her one of our seeds? Pretty please?" She batted her eyelashes and stuck out her bottom lip.

"Oh, come on!" The man groaned. Karen closed her eyes with impatience, before opening them again and placing her hand on her hip, a scowl firmly placed on her lips.

"What ever happened to kindness to strangers?!"

The man winced, but the woman beside him placed her hand on his shoulder, comforting him.

"Why don't you show her some hospitality, Jeff, please…?" She asked. The man looked at the woman, then back at Karen. He hesitated, but nodded slowly.

"…Okay."

Karen clapped her hands, thanking her father.

"See?" The woman laughed. "There is a reason why I married you!"

"Here you are." Karen handed Claire a bag of grass seeds. "These are on the house. Don't mention it. It takes a lot of work to start up a farm, I'm rooting for you. Oh, and those two people are my mom and dad, Jeff and Sasha."

Claire couldn't stop smiling.

"Thank you, Karen. I'll be sure to stop by again." Claire shyly said. Karen laughed and pulled Claire in for an unexpected hug.

"No problem. Her, promise me you _will_ come back? I don't mean for the store, I mean for me!" Karen smiled, adjusting her jacket. "I don't have many friends, and you seem really cool. I don't get along with most of the other girls; it'd be awesome to actually get to know someone for once."

"S-Sure. I'd like that too." Claire replied, overwhelmed by Karen's affection. "I, um, have to go now but I'll see you tomorrow? Oh, and one more thing…" Claire walked over to the table of seeds in the middle of the store, eyeing each packet.

'_Usually… the most expensive seeds sell for the most…' _She thought, picking up the cucumber seeds. She studied the packet carefully, before putting them back down.

'_However, these regrow and take quite a long time to grow, I need quick money fast.' _

Claire glanced at the table again, picking up a pure white bag of turnip seeds. She put them down after reading their description.

'_These take the least amount of time but… they cost the least. If I think about this logically, that means they sell for the least.'_

She picked up a light brown bag containing potato seeds, with a price in the middle of the other two seeds.

'_This better be a good decision._'

"I'll take three bags of potato seeds, please." Claire placed the bags she'd picked up over to the counter where Jeff and Sasha were stood.

"Sure. That'll be 450G please." Jeff answered. Claire slowly handed him the money, suddenly regretting her decision as she was left with 50G to get her through the day.

She waved goodbye to Karen and inched towards the clinic, slightly worried. She'd always been in and out of hospital as a child and the white corridors and horrific smell still haunted her.

She walked inside the modern building cautiously; the familiar medicinal stench made her want to pinch her nostrils in disgust, although the scent wasn't as strong in here as it was in her local hospital.

She walked towards a desk where a man in a white coat was sat, sorting papers warily as to not mix up files. Claire cleared her throat and he looked up, a serious gaze meeting hers.

"Huh? I haven't seen you yet, have I?"

"No, um, my name's Claire…" She shifted from one foot to the other, feeling uncomfortable as his black eyes stared at her, no emotion present on his face.

"Well, are you new to this town?" He asks immediately, as if he knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Well, I guess, uh…"

The man clearly understood that she was uncomfortable and decided to lead the conversation himself.

"Oh, you're the one who's taken over that farm. I heard about you from my patients."

Claire laughed awkwardly, not sure whether to be happy or scared that she was the talk of the town.

"I'm Doctor, and as you can tell, I'm a doctor." He looked back down, organizing is files again.

'_Is he serious? His parents must have been set on his career…' _Claire thought, trying not to let her expression give away what she was thinking.

"Before you ask, yes, that is my real name." He stated, not looking up.

'_Poor guy…'_

"Anyway, come to see me anytime you're feeling unwell." He looked back up, placing the papers down gently on his desk. "Everyone in this town is pretty healthy. There are many unhealthy people in the city, you know. It must be the nature."

"Y-Yeah. I come from the city; I had to visit the hospital every few weeks. I've had so much medicine I'm surprised it's not running through my bloodstream." She giggled. Doctor's face lit up with the talk of medicine, and he began talking enthusiastically.

"I'm studying every day. There is no end to the world of medicine. So many challenges. How about you? Farming must be hard. You're a female too, take care of yourself. Elli and I are here for you if you have any problems."

Claire knew that his intentions were good, but the sexist comment made her anxiety tone down and her attitude rise.

"Excuse me, but I can handle a farm just as well as a boy could. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm any weaker than you." She hissed, folding her arms.

"Really? Well if you're so strong, why don't you test out this medicine? It's a special tonic I got from another town. You can energize and recover fatigue at the same time." He smirked. "It's not as effective as the medicine I got here, so I don't sell it, but… I made some improvements, so it should work. It's bitter, though."

He pulled out a rich blue liquid and let Claire take a good look at it. Of course she wanted to prove a point, but… it looked so vile, so sickly. All in all, it looked disgusting.

"O…Okay." She whimpered, reluctantly holding out her hand.

Doctor's face lit up once more. He had a faint look of shock on his face, but quickly handed the drink over.

"Right! I knew you'd try it. Go ahead, bottoms up."

The fluid was thick and as it swished the blue stained the sides of the glass. It looked revolting, and had a slight slushy texture to it. Although Claire was near throwing up just looking at it, she gulped it down without a second thought.

"B-Bad…" Claire whined, breathing heavily. She held her stomach and groaned. Although she felt kind of ill, she had to admit she felt pretty alive.

"It wasn't good?" Doctor questioned. Claire shook her head, pointing to her stomach. "But it worked, right?"

"I-I guess… I do feel pretty good but pretty bad at the same time, if you get me."

"Oh really? Well, how about one more!"

Claire frowned, already feeling rather sick.

"I'll… pass." She squeaked, remembering the horrific taste of the drink. Doctor laughed slightly, before resuming his usual expression.

"I'm kidding. Don't rely on medicine, okay?"

"Sure."

The room was silent for a moment, until Claire's stomach made on odd gurgling noise.

"That doesn't sound good." Doctor mumbled, pulling out a notepad. He scribbled on it and ripped it out, handing it to Claire. "Here, give this to Elli. It'll get you some Bodigizer. For free, of course. It's my fault, obviously."

Claire nodded, putting the piece of paper in her overall pocket. She turned to head out, but Doctor stopped her.

"It was fun to talk to you today, Claire."

Claire didn't know what to say. She smiled, and Doctor went back to his work.

She walked to the front desk, where a young girl was stood. She wore a blue dress with a yellow ribbon and a white apron. As Claire approached the girl, a small boy ran in front of her.

"I want to show you something nice, Elli!" He gabbled, a grin stuck on his face.

"What is it?" Elli asked.

"Here!" The boy smiled. Elli held out her hand, but instead was greeted by a large bug. She screamed and flung it on the floor, watching as it scuttled away.

"Stu! Don't play tricks on me like that."

"Don't get so mad, Elli. You don't want to get grey hair, do you?" Stu giggled.

"What?!"

Claire decided to stop the argument and walked in a bit more so Elli would notice her. As she stopped, Stu ran behind her and hid.

"Hey, where are you going?!" Elli shouted, until she realised Claire was stood there. "Hello. You're not from around here, are you?"

Claire shook her head.

"No. Um, my name's Claire. Nice to meet you." Claire nervously smiled, trying to distract Elli from Stu, who was still crouched behind her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You must be the new girl at the farm, right?"

Claire nodded.

"I've heard rumours about you! My name's Elli. I work here. By the way…"

She placed her hand on her hip, peering at Stu, who was sticking out enough for Elli to see.

"…Do you realise there's someone hiding behind you?"

Stu suddenly sprung out and charged at her.

"Don't get so mad Elli!"

She sighed, folding her arms.

"You're so much trouble! What shall I do with you?"

Claire chuckled. She'd always wished for such sibling rivalry, being an only child. She'd always been jealous of the kids who would argue with each other; mainly because her family were the only people she could communicate well with. She wasn't good at making friends, and usually sat alone.

"All I did was show you a bug." Stu whined. He huffed and turned away from Elli.

"Don't you know I hate bugs?"

"I thought you'd like that one."

Claire groaned. Little kids always had excuses.

"Don't play games with me, Stu."

Stu turned to Claire, looking up at her with puppy dog eyes.

"You understand me, right Claire? You're still young at heart."

'…_Is he calling me old?'_

"Uh… not really."

Stu's lip started to quiver, and his eyes filled with tears.

"…Waahhhh!" He wailed, flailing his arms around as he ran out of the clinic. Claire started to get worried. She'd never made a child cry before, especially in front of a relative.

"Don't worry about him, he's just not used to being scolded by other people." Elli reassured her. "Maybe now he'll stop playing so many pranks on me!"

"Having a little brother must be so interesting… You're lucky." Claire pined, wishing silently for a sibling of her own. "Hey, uh, I have to go. I'll be seeing you around, I guess…? Oh, and here." Claire handed her the paper that Doctor had given her.

Elli nodded.

"Of course. See you, Claire, and take this. The bodigizer you needed." She handed her the fluid and returned back to the counter. Claire quickly drank the medicine and instantly felt better.

With that, Claire left the building, feeling happier than ever. She finally felt like she'd made some real friends.

* * *

**omfg update.**

**So hi. I'm back.**

**I'm sosososososososososososo sorry about the long wait. I've had a pretty rough time lately, and I'm not as happy as I was when I last updated .-.**

**But anyway, I'm here now so idk.**

**Thank you to Le Redhead Merchant andAnonymousgirl88 for following and reviewing, ily ^3^**

**And thank you to wildivy and Saint-Brooke-Lynn for following and Bataratacat for following and favouriting, ily2 **

**and lmao, Claire will meet Cliff in the next chapter, yay**

**-long chapter is long-**

**so yh**

**review? Okay thanks.**

**-Cherry xx**


End file.
